UIC MHA NCHL Competency Course Measurement and Methods

The UIC MHA program evaluation methodology includes direct and indirect competency measurements across the curriculum and assesses student attainment of the 10 primary competencies at specific targeted levels based on the NCHL levels of attainment.

Indirect Assessments

MHA syllabi include the definitions of the Primary and Secondary NCHL competencies, the expected level of attainment, and their respective linkage to the learning objectives and assignments. Students take self-assessments of competency attainment throughout their time in the program and discuss the results with faculty, program director, and/or preceptors.

Direct Assessments

For each course, competency attainment is shared with students through Blackboard, the learning management system, by the faculty at the end of each semester. Additionally, students meet with their faculty advisor to discuss the results of their attainment and explore areas of improvement if need be for the course.

NCHL Definitions of Domains and Competencies Measured in the UIC MHA Program 

BOUNDARY SPANNING – Optimizing relationships between a leader’s span of control and the departments, organizations, communities, and/or broader networks within which it operates.

  •  Community Collaboration – The ability to align one’s own and the organization’s priorities with the needs and values of the community, including its cultural and ethnocentric values, and to move health forward in line with population-based wellness needs and national health agenda.
  • Organizational Awareness – The ability to understand and learn the formal and informal decision-making structures and power relationships in an organization or industry (e.g., stakeholders, suppliers). This includes the ability to identify who the real decision-makers are and the individuals who can influence them and to predict how new events will affect individuals and groups within the organization.

EXECUTION
Translating vision and strategy into actions supporting optimal organizational performance.

  • Analytical Thinking – Developing a deeper understanding of a situation, issue, or problem by breaking it down or tracing its implications step-by-step. It includes organizing the parts of a situation, issue, or problem systematically; making systematic comparisons of different features or aspects; setting priorities on a rational basis; and identifying time sequences, causal relationships, or if-then relationships.
  • Communication Skills 1 – Writing – The ability to use written communications in formal and informal situations to convey meaning, build shared understanding, and productively move agendas forward.
  • Communication Skills 2 – Speaking & Facilitating – The ability to use spoken communications in formal and informal situations to convey meaning, build shared understanding, and productively move agendas forward.
  • Initiative – Identifying a problem, obstacle, or opportunity and taking action in light of this identification to address current or future problems or opportunities. Initiative emphasizes proactively doing things and not simply thinking about future actions. Levels of proficiency relate to the time scale of focus, moving from addressing current situations to acting on long-term future opportunities or problems.
  • Performance Measurement – The ability to understand and use statistical and financial metrics and methods to set goals and measure clinical as well as organizational performance; commits to and deploys evidence-based techniques.

TRANSFORMATION
Creating and implementing compelling and inclusive change processes in support of improving health quality, efficiency, and access.

  • Information Seeking – An underlying curiosity and desire to know more about things, people, and issues, including the desire for knowledge and staying current with health, organizational, industry, and professional trends and developments. It includes pressing for more precise information; resolving discrepancies by asking a series of questions; and scanning for potential opportunities or information that may be of future use, as well as staying current and seeking best practices for adoption.

VALUES
Understanding and utilizing personal, professional, and organizational values to guide decision-making.

  • Professional & Social Responsibility – The demonstration of ethics, sound professional practices, social accountability, and community stewardship. Acting in ways that are consistent with one’s values and what one says is important.

HEALTH SYSTEM AWARENESS & BUSINESS LITERACY
Understanding the health system’s current business and operating frameworks as well as the dynamic context within which they operate (e.g., community, competitive, human resources, financial, legal, policy, and environmental).

  • Financial Skills – The ability to understand and explain financial and accounting information, prepare and manage budgets, and make sound long-term investment decisions.

 

Teaching & Learning and Assessment Methods Heading link

The UIC MHA program incorporates appropriate teaching and learning methods aligned with the curriculum and emphasizes methods that are more effective in developing competencies. Additionally, the program incorporates a range of assessment methods throughout the curriculum, which are measured by aligning a specific learning objective and the corresponding competency for the course. Examples of lower and higher-level methods are provided below and are adapted from NCHL (2006): Competency Integration in Health Management Education: A Resource Series for Program Directors and Faculty.